Alfred herz



A. HERZ.

ILLUMINATED SIGN. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10. m5.

19303556w Patented May 13, 1919.-

. I ALFRED nnnz, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1919.

"Application filed March 10, 1915. Serial No. 13,495

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED I-Innz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Illummated Signs, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, form ing a part of this specification.

My invention relates to illuminated signs, especially such as involve or contain electric lights.

Prominent objects of the invention are to provide a practical and efiective construc tion of illuminated sign; to secure a more effective display of the illuminated partsof the sign; to arrange for the'effective use of the signduring daytime; and to secure the foregoing and other desirable results in a simple and expeditious manner.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front view of an llluminated'sign embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Fig. 2 of modifications.

The sign shown in the drawings for carrying out the invention comprises a main body part 1, preferably arranged in a vertical position and carrying a frame 2, provided with incandescent lights 3. These lights 3 may be arranged in any form or style, in accord ance with the illustration desired to be made by the sign. In Fig. 1 the lamps are shown so as to spell the word Hotel An elevated or overhead member a is arranged lengthwise of the sign, having its rear edge located substantially at the upper edge of the body member 1, and extending forwardly and preferably downwardly from the same, as shown in Fig. At the forward edge of this overhead member or shield a is a member 5 which is preferably arranged in a vertical position extending lengthwise of the forward edge of the memher 4. A longitudinally extending member 6 is preferably arranged at the lower edge of the body member 1 and from this a member 7 depends preferably in a forwardly and downwardly direction.

The overhead member 4 forms a shield for the lamps 3 composing the sign proper, and thus protects said lamps from the sunlight, darkening the same very appreciably.

This makes the light of the lamps3 extend out more prominently. The darkening effect is of such eifectthat the sign will be effective in daylight, the illuminated elements being in elIect placed in" a substantially darkened recess or chamber. 011 a very brightly lighted street the sign will also be more effective. The member 5 is preferably made dark as for exampleblack, whereby a band or border is in effect arranged along the upper edge of the sign. This also has a darkening effect which makes the light of the lamps 3 more pronounced. The member is also made dark or black so as to provide a darkened border along the bottom of the sign lights and thereby add to their effectiveness. In Fig. 21s shown in a general way the manner in which this sign would appear to an observer whose eyes were located at 8, it being understood that the observer 8 is standing on the street or sidewalk above which the sign is suspended. The lamps 3 will'be in the darkened recess and the dark bands provided by the members 5 and 7 will be seen above and below those lamps 3. The inclination and arrangement of the member 4: permits the lamps to be well shaped and at the same time permits said lamps to be seen by observersfrom various view points. The arrangement of the member 7 also permits the lanrps to be seen from various angles and positions and at the same time provides the desirable darkened border.

The lights 3 may be colored red and if so, will have an especially strong penetrating power because the red or reddish hues are more efi'ective.

In Fig. 3 I show the sign without the upwardly extending bar 5 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The downwardly extending member 7 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is connected directly to the body 2 without the intermediate bar 6 in said Figs. and 2.

In Fig. 4 a sign similar to Fig. 3 is shown, except that the overhead member 4 is curved downwardly and forwardly.

It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. An illuminated Sign comprising lighting elements and a downwardly inclined, forwardly extending overhanging member arranged above said lighting elements and shieldingthe same from sunlight, and-an upwardly extending member arranged at the forward edge of said overhanging member.

2. An illuminated sign comprising lighting elements and a downwardly inclined, forwardly extending overhanging member arranged above said lighting elements and shielding the same from sunlight, and a downwardly extending member arranged below said lighting elements.

3. An illuminated sign comprising a body member carrying a frame for lighting elements, a forwardly and downwardly extending overhanging member for shielding said lighting elements from sunlight, a Vertically arranged strip extending upwardly from the forward edge of said overhanging member, a horizontally arranged strip at the lower edge of said body member, and a downwardly and forwardly extending strip at the forward edge of said last mentioned strip.

4. In an illuminated sign a plurality of electric lamps arranged on a common background in the form of letters, said letters comprising substantially vertical rows of substantially uniform length, a common sun shield extending'out from the background above the sign substantially the whole length of the background and adapted to shield the, lamps and the background from the rays of the sun.

5. In combination, a horizontally extending self-illuminated sign, consisting of a plurality of lighting elements mounted on a background, and a common sun guard extending the length of said sign and projecting from the background far enough to guard the lowermost parts of said lighting elements from the sun.

'6. An illuminated sign comprising a horizontal row of illuminated elements coinposed of incandescent electric lamps projecting forward from a common base plane, in combination with a sun guard co-extensive' with the sign, extending outwardly from said base plane above the illuminated elements and projecting far enough to shield the lowermost lamps thereof.

7:111 a sign of the kind described, a horizontally extending background, illuminated letters on said background comprising outwardly projecting electric lamps, the lowermost lamps of the several letters being arranged in a horizontal row, a sun guard extending horizontally above said sign and projecting forward beyond the lamps far enough to shield the lowermost lamps from the sun.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 6th day of March, A. D. 1915.

ALFRED HERZ.

Witnesses v HAZEL A. J ONES, A. LYDA JONES.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by add'ressmg: the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

